Continued Success for Dealerships!

1Micro has added a new social media account with Youtube. Over the course of time, you’ll see updates from trade shows, product demos, and more! See the first video that takes a deeper dive into Luther Brookdale Honda’s store and the successful results 1Micro has delivered. With over 1,500 vehicles, over 100 employees, and a lot of service RO’s each day - 1Micro’s solution has helped control that process. See the video below to learn more!

As many auto dealers watch carefully on the shift of a car buying experience, Tesla made some big announcements for the future of the company yesterday. The most important, that caught our attention, was the shift from over 200 retail locations to an online purchasing experience. Perhaps Tesla is seeing the success of companies like Carvana, and understand more profits are available without expensive overhead, wages, etc.

“To make up for the new online-only purchase policy Tesla is also making it easier for people to return their cars. Buyers will have 7 days or 1,000 miles during which they can return the car for a refund.

That's an extremely generous return policy for an automaker, but then again every other manufacturer has dealers that let shoppers test drive a car before buying it."

So if the shift will continue to move online, what does this tell us a car buyer wants? We think it boils down to one word: convenience.

Online - you can shop anytime, from wherever, and you don’t have to deal with a person throughout the process. No awkward conversations, no back and forth haggling, and no wasted time. The only issue is that you don’t have the ability to test drive the car before you make your $30,000 commitment. How do you continue the online experience, but complete the process with a test drive that many buyers want? We may just have an answer.

Find out more at Digital Dealer 26, in Orlando FL! 1Micro will be speaking at the Tech Tank and located in Booth 1018. Click here for the exhibitor map.

National Automobile Dealers Association 2019

1Micro, a leader in the automotive industry for key control, is poised to bring effective solutions to the 2019 NADA Show, located in San Francisco, California. With the two hottest products in the automotive market, KeyMaster and iLot, 1Micro adds another cost-effective solution: KeyMaster Lite. With the same advanced technology as other products that 1Micro currently offers, the KeyMaster Lite brings even more control for the areas that a dealer will need for an efficient operation. Stop by Booth 4043N to learn more!

National Automobile Dealers Association Show

1Micro is back at one of the hottest events in automotive, the NADA Show 2019 in San Fransisco, CA on January 25th - 27th. Looking back on a successful year in 2018 with new innovations, success, and extreme growth, 1Micro is poised to bring even more solutions and money-savings to dealerships across the world. The popularity of the KeyMaster and iLot has proven effective results for the automotive market in efficient key control. Get ready for continued improvements, new tools, and a booth that you won’t forget! Come by Booth 4043N to grab a drink, have a chat, and most importantly learn about the #1 key tracking system on Planet Earth: The KeyMaster. See you in San Fransisco!

MaaS is the next popular service model

With new tools and benefits regarding transportation such as Uber™, Lyft™, and many more, the automotive market wonders what will be next. One of the main aspects to Mobility as a Service, or MaaS, is transportation without the ownership of a car. Obviously for years we’ve had trains, buses, taxis, and planes as a means to travel. Today, the access and authentication to these new ways of ride sharing, subscription based services, etc is through your mobile device. As ownership dwindles for some, those who already have ownership see a business opportunity with their own fleet of vehicles or using their vehicle for trips. At some point, the question is brought up, “how do you manage your keys in this new process?”

Take a relatively new company, Fair™ for example, that has over 3,000 dealers using their tool for customers who don’t necessarily want to own a vehicle, but would rather have a “pool of vehicles” to choose from. There is less liability for the customer without contracts or a long lease, and more variety with vehicles to choose from. At some point, the keys to all of these vehicles need some type of management amongst moving vehicles or drivers of the vehicles. Take a look at Fair’s website to learn more: https://www.fair.com

KEEP YOUR TEAM ACCOUNTABLE

We understand for every dealership or automotive space, daily tasks become increasingly more demanding. With many moving parts to your operations, managing keys can become a serious headache for you and your staff. Without an employee image, an audit trail, or a secure access method to your keys, it’s easy for things to get out of hand. At 1Micro, we view key control and key tracking through accountability, security, and efficiency.

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ACCOUNTABILITY - when you aren’t able to hold an employee accountable by an image, video, or an audit trail, it’s difficult for any manager to have ground to stand on. The KeyMaster will give your manager this solid ground with 4K definition of every user accessing your keys. No questions or excuses!

SECURITY - There are plenty of key control systems available today, but how can you determine what’s best? Take note of engineering that will last for years and years of use. The focus on the KeyMaster has the engineering you’re looking for with aircraft-grade aluminum, vehicle key design, and extreme-strength locking mechanisms. There’s no way around it.

Efficiency - One of the most important parts to your operations is increasing efficiency through your business units. iLot has brought the KeyMaster from an efficient system to an extremely efficient solution between your keys and vehicles. The faster 1Micro can bring your team through the process, the more money you save, and the happier the customer is!

AUTOMOTIVE PARTS AND SERVICE CONTROL

Located in Orlando, FL, come visit 1Micro in Booth 525 to learn more about creating efficiency within your service customer keys, PDI keys, parts control, and tool control. We're excited to showcase our new products which will result in serious time and money savings for your dealership. With over 900 attendees at the Mopar Orlando Service & Parts Conference, 1Micro is dedicated to bringing every dealership a solution to control money/time loss, increase accountability, and automate your processes.

AUTOMOTIVE INVENTORY AUDIT

PROBLEM: IT TAKES TOO LONG TO AUDIT MY VEHICLES

There are plenty of dealerships who stick to the "old-fashioned way" of doing things. Unfortunately, the old-fashioned way takes too much time and isn't always accurate. A piece of paper and a pen results in illegible handwriting, higher probability for errors, and inefficiencies for touching every vehicle. This process can take hours, even days to perform an audit on your vehicles. That's wasted time a dealership employee may not have in his or her operations.

SOLUTION: ILOT INVENTORY AUDIT MODULE

One of 1Micro's hottest products has increased in popularity for dealerships across the country. The iLot Inventory Audit module has tremendously increased efficiency amongst automotive operations. From the iLot app on iOS or Android, any user can perform the audit that you give access to. You can have as many employees partake in the audit by scanning the vehicle label to verify that it's on your lot. As each vehicle is scanned, the GPS location of that vehicle is automatically updated in real-time. The many hours it once took to perform an audit now takes an hour or less.

AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE TRACKING

PROBLEM: I'VE GOT THE KEY, NOW WHERE'S THE CAR?

We've heard many times how our clients enjoy the KeyMaster with controlling the keys, but they still run into the issue of finding the vehicle on parking lot. This can waste valuable time for any employee at the dealership and slows down operations. More importantly, the customer is the person waiting to go on a test drive.

SOLUTION: ILOT ASSET TRACKING MODULE

Now you have an automated solution to locate your vehicles, with the convenience of any mobile phone or tablet. First, begin with Geofencing your lot in any aspect you would like such as a Remote Lot, Front Row, Delivery Area, New Car Lot, Used Car Lot, etc. There are no limitations to the locations or the number of Geofences you would like to place. Either by scanning the iLot vehicle label or updating the location on the KeyMaster, your entire team will know which Geofence the vehicle is placed in from their phone/tablet or from the key machine. It's that simple! Grab the key, find the vehicle, and start your test drive as quickly as possible.

AUTOMOTIVE MOBILE KEY TRACKING

PROBLEM: KEY MANAGEMENT IS TOO SLOW

We continued to hear how slow it was to get a key out of the KeyMaster, let alone any other key control system. Whether it was one key or multiple keys, there was a lot of time typing at the machine while other users were waiting to get keys out of the system. Sometimes keys are already checked out and you need to walk all the way back to the machine to get this information. There are many inefficiencies within this aspect on a daily basis.

SOLUTION: iLOT MOBILE TRANSACTIONS

Want to get a key in 5 seconds? How about five keys in 30 seconds? No problem, iLot can handle it for you right away. Now, the most efficient and secure way to control your keys, iLot Mobile Transactions is what dealerships, fleet departments, and more industries are raving about. At any time, at any location, such as your desk, with a customer, or wherever, you can see who has which key or what KeyMaster system it's in! Real-time information right at your fingertips. Take one key or multiples keys is just as easy - simply scan a unique, one-time QR code and get your key(s). iLot is 80% faster than any other method of key control, are you ready for the KeyMaster to automate your process?

INNOVATION: WHAT WE DO

Since the launch of iLot in 2017, 1Micro has made many advancements toward the phrase: "Automated Tools For The Automotive Mind". We're focused on saving your team time and money by continuing automation within your dealership. At the end of the day, it comes down to your end customer who needs to either purchase a vehicle or service their vehicle. We want your team to get through that process as quickly as possible by locating the key and locating the vehicle as quickly as possible. Take a look at what our customers have said within just months of installation...

"Before the KeyMaster and iLot, we had a big key expense and 6 cars stolen off of our lot. Since we installed with 1Micro, we've had zero cars stolen and saved roughly $2,000 each month because we haven't needed to replace a key yet! Plus, snow days are a breeze for moving the lot around. It's a game changer."

"Before the KeyMaster and iLot, we spent around $1,800 per month replacing keys. After installation, we haven't replaced a key yet. Plus, the Asset Tracking takes all of our salespeople right to the car using iLot when they are going on a test drive. It's been a great solution for us and customers have even noticed!"

"Not only has the KeyMaster paid for itself within 6 months of use, but iLot has helped us locate each vehicle's location right away. It probably saves us about 20 minutes per deal each month. That's a lot of time our entire team saves, it's pretty amazing."

These are just a few of many examples on how the 1Micro product line is greatly reducing expenses and time wasted by controlling the process of tracking the key and the vehicle's location. The individuals who use our products now see our solution starting with a key machine and ending as an overall inventory solution. As we grow, so will your efficiency at the dealership as we continue to strive in our innovation of new products, features, and benefits.

Have you punched your ticket for Digital Dealer 25 in Las Vegas, at the Mirage? Come visit Booth #129 between October 16th - 18th and take a look at the greatest automotive key management system for any dealership, the KeyMaster. Have you heard about the high demand for iLot capabilities with the key machine? Get keys, track vehicle locations, and perform physical audits right from your phone!

I'm going to guess that I know where your second sets of keys are stored. Why? Because most dealerships track their second keys the same way. In fact, when your keys are there, we've seen some major issues that can cost dealerships serious money. That's why we give you the ability to use your drawers as admin access only. Now those keys are locked down, able to be tracked, and most importantly, not lost or cut. From an investment standpoint, this dealership key machine is well worth it. Not only are your keys safe, but your team stays accountable. Tracking keys never could be so easy! Fast - Secure - Accurate.

Sadly, yet another dealership has been affected immensely by stolen vehicles. The thieves broke open the lock boxes where the keys resided on the side of the car and gained access to the vehicle. Over 25 vehicles were stolen. For any dealership, this is a nightmare waiting to occur, especially when there are many cars to manage.

That is why managing the keys to each of these cars is so crucial to ensure security of these vehicles. Without the key, nobody can get into the car. It's very important that every dealership has a solution to their key control system. That's where 1Micro comes in.

For our customers using the KeyMaster, none have had a car stolen, because the machine locks the keys down and keeps the keys secure in their dealership. Having our key control system amongst any other key tracking system will put you in a secured position, never having to fear stolen vehicles.

As the year comes to an end, we see how 2016 might be the end to the annual record sales for automotive dealers. Between bearish analysts, Donald Trump as our soon to be president, and the question on the cost of the vehicle in the future, 2017 raises many questions as to what we'll see in the future.

In terms of how you and your dealership can stay ahead of the curve for selling more vehicles, The KeyMaster is your solution. Time and money are the two big aspects to any business. Our key machine gets your sales team on a test drive quickly, stops the loss of keys, and will help your team sell more vehicles. You need a Key Control System in your dealership, and the 1Micro KeyMaster is your answer!

If you want your customers coming back time and time again, you listen to what your customers want. That is keeping them with the same technician for their visits as the years go by. Porsche Norwell has this concept in mind as they manage their service department. It's similar as if you were to stay with the same hair stylist throughout your needs of a haircut as time goes on.

How can you make that experience even better in terms of a key control system? The answer is speed. The time is takes from when the customer hands your team his or her keys to your team handing the keys back after completing a service speaks volume. Time is crucial for any dealership. The KeyMaster will reign in that area for your team. While still keeping the keys secured and locked down, it will produce an efficient manner of receiving/returning keys faster, which will produce the best results for you team.

We're glad to hear that Black Friday week posted a boost in sales for dealerships! A good economy brings in more customers, which leads to more sales within your dealership. That's the point of every dealership, to sell more cars. That's where they KeyMaster comes in to help close more of those deals. Of the many tools that this key control system has, helping your team collect customer data is what our machine can do. In turn, this will lead to an increase in sales dollars for your dealership. Who knew that a key machine is going to help you increase your sales?

Let's take a look at vehicle sales figures for Texas. Currently, it overall sounds like the market is in a downward trend, despite the drop in oil prices. Regardless, each dealership must be persistent in closing deals to win the end of the year with strong numbers. Your next key machine can be that solution for helping your team increase sales numbers. The KeyMaster is made to track your keys, but has many more abilities, including customer data gathering. At the end of the day, you need that customer's information to follow up more frequently and close more deals. You set the standard for what information you need before a user gets the keys for a test drive. The more data your CRM gets, the more likely your salesperson can close those deals. Be better than how the industry is today! Track your keys, get customer information, and close more deals. Let the KeyMaster help!

The NICB is working hard to put a stop to these car thefts. At 1Micro, we agree that something must be done. The KeyMaster makes it a lot harder for thieves to get the keys because of it's solid design, made from aircraft grade aluminum. Not only is this built to last for years and years, but it's also built to keep unauthorized individuals out.

Do you ever wonder if your Key Management System for your dealership is getting that job done?

If so, can it do anything more than what the KeyMaster can do?

Don't take the risk of potentially stolen keys/vehicles. When you put our Key Management System in your dealership, your users accountability increases and the worry of theft decreases.

As time progresses and technology gets smarter, so do the keys in your dealership. Being in Automotive Key Control, I'm sure you have something close to what was shown in this article. When you have an automotive key that does more than simply turn your car on, it's going to cost more, yes, but it gives your customer that extra value he/she needs. Why risk losing something as valuable as this when our Key Management System is the answer to controlling your keys? Regardless of the size or luxury of the key, The KeyMaster has the ability to control them and keep them safe.